Vices
by Voyagerfictionfan
Summary: Kathryn and B'Elanna unwind. Just for fun :-)


_Disclaimer - Paramount owns all_

_A/N: Just for fun, set in Season 7. __This is dedicated to everyone who has ever tried, and utterly failed to give up a bad habit._ :-)

.

**Vices**

**.**

The Holodeck privacy lock was engaged and the safety protocols disabled. Their rank and Comm badges left at the door, as she always said. Twenty-One hundred hours on the last Friday of each and every month. They met at that time, religiously. Once, while on the Bridge, Kathryn had even caught herself considering leaving Chakotay to fight the Kazon-Ogla solo, but in the end her sense of duty had won out. They had postponed, but not cancelled.

They didn't need to run a program, just sat side-by-side in two easy chairs in the centre of the empty Hologrid. Kathryn groaned slightly as she lowered herself next to B'Elanna.

"Long week?"

She grimaced, rolling her eyes to the Heavens.

"I don't think I ever want to see another Systems Report again. I was tempted to recycle Harry's one before I had even read it."

B'Elanna chuckled. "There was a ridiculously large pile on your desk this morning."

Kathryn stretched her neck, tilting her head to one side and yawning before looking sideways towards her Chief Engineer. Her eyes narrowed.

"You have them?"

B'Elanna nodded, reaching her hand into the dark blue tool kit sat innocently on her lap. Empty except for the two bottles. Snapping off the bottle caps, she reached over and handed her Captain one of the ice cold beverages. Fascinated, she watched as Kathryn wrapped her hands elegantly around the curvaceous glass containing the dark liquid, before resting her head back, exhaling slowly. She took her first swig before speaking.

"Do you hide this from Tom?"

B'Elanna shot her an incredulous look.

"Are you kidding? Of course I do. He can never know, he's obsessed about everything I'm eating and drinking in this pregnancy as it is. You know, the Authorities of the day tried to ban this at the end of the 21st century?"

Her eyes closed, Kathryn managed to raise her eyebrows.

"Apparently, it does all kinds of horrible things to your insides. I could probably use it to clean out the Deuterium tanks."

Kathryn snorted. "Chakotay would be horrified."

"He probably would, although at least it's vegetarian."

Their eyes met and despite themselves they giggled, the pleasant effects of the drink already lifting their moods.

"When are you two going to admit that you have feelings for one another anyway?"

Kathryn took another swig. "Mmmm, who says that we do?"

B'Elanna knew this game well.

"Just about the entire crew from the way you looked at him in that Toga at Harry's birthday party last week." It was somewhat of an exaggeration, but she was feeling bold.

Kathryn gave her arm a gentle, playful shove. "That's not true, _he_ was looking at me."

The memory of her First Officer resurfaced from that evening. The contrast of his bronzed skin against the flowing white linen. The sight of his one bare, well muscled shoulder…"

"Kathryn, stop fantasising."

The words make her start and she felt her cheeks flush. Turning her face towards her Chief Engineer she adopted a rueful expression.

"I was _not_ thinking about Chakotay."

B'Elanna shook her head.

"Did I ever tell you that I'm one sixth Betazoid on my father's side? I _know_ when you're lying Kathryn."

Kathryn bit her lip slightly and then rolled her eyes and sighed silently knowing when she was beaten.

"Seven years is a long time B'Elanna."

Momentarily enjoying her victory, B'Elanna smirked as much as she dared before deciding to change the subject.

"Did you ever solve the mystery of that night?"

Kathryn feigned a puzzled look. "Not really. Tuvok discovered that whoever did it erased the security logs expertly. In fact, he concluded that the environmental controls in the Galley were deliberately tampered with in order that the stocks of Leola root perish."

B'Elanna frowned. "If that was the case then the list of suspects would run the length of the ship. Everyone hates that stuff. Harry was smiling for days though, a Toga party and replicated pizza, it was his dream birthday."

Kathryn smiled. "I guess it was."

Something in her tone made B'Elanna turn to look at her. "Just how expertly were those logs erased?"

She watched as Kathryn pulled her gaze downward and then looked back at B"Elanna through her lashes, giving her most innocent of smiles. Crystal blue eyes as wide as those of a deer and her mouth just hinting at the deception. "Why would you ask_ me_ that?"

"_Oh my God_ _Kathryn, it was you_." B'Elanna's tone was incredulous as she looked over at her friend.

Kathryn raised her eyebrows, a slightly pious expression crossing her face. "I don't think you'll find any evidence to support that accusation, ever."

Kathryn had perfected that innocent look over the last seven years B'Elanna decided. She could pull it off like a professional. She shook her head, the admiration obvious in her voice. "And it works so well because you're above suspicion. It was brilliant, if only you'd thought to destroy the rest of the supply in stasis in the Cargo Bay as well."

She hesitated slightly. "Seeing as we're in confessional mood. I might have one of my own."

Kathryn sipped from her bottle slowly. "I don't recall confessing anything. But do go on."

"I turned the lights in Seven's Alcove red that night last week."

B'Elanna almost blurted out her guilty secret, the weight of it probably lifting with her honesty Kathryn thought. She looked over at her and bit back a smile as her friend continued.

"She made yet another of her suggestions about improving efficiency in Engineering and it got to me. It was the fifth one that shift."

"You know she thought the Ship was at Red Alert?"

Kathryn spoke softly as she tilted the bottle slightly towards her lips. B'Elanna nodded, "and that she Comm'd Chakotay and I at 0200 hours to inform us that someone had ordered Battle Stations?"

B'Elanna grimaced as she watched Kathryn slowly rest the bottle back on her knee.

"She woke up the entire Command Team?"

"She did. I was half asleep and ended up on the Bridge in less than correct uniform, without my boots."

"You forgot your boots…?"

Having never seen Kathryn in anything less than perfect uniform, B'Elanna couldn't quite comprehend it. Kathryn sighed.

"No, I didn't forget them, but it was 0200 hours and I could only find one and my damn replicator wouldn't oblige."

B'Elanna swallowed her laugh, unconsciously placing one hand over her mouth.

"So you ended up on the Bridge in just your socks?"

She was rewarded with a mock glare from the older woman.

"Not _just_ my socks, but Seven, Chakotay and I nearly gave Harry a heart attack when we all barrelled onto the Bridge in the middle of the night shift demanding to know just why he had ordered Red Alert."

The thought of the look on Harry's face was too much and B'Elanna laughed heartily despite herself.

"Oh Kathryn I wish I'd seen that, poor Harry." She continued to laugh and Kathryn couldn't help but join her.

"Chakotay just looked down at me and said in that annoyingly calm way of his "and I always thought you slept in them."

Apparently, my pink non-Starfleet issue socks were the talk of the Junior Staff for weeks."

They both wiped their eyes and took another drink.

"Do you think we're addicted?"

Kathryn's answer was instant. "To this? Hopelessly. I've thought about it all day. I even caught myself sneaking a look at the console to check the time during Tuvok's end of shift report."

B'Elanna's eyes widened. "Captain Kathryn Janeway, distracted on the Bridge? You've gone down in my estimation."

Hearing this, Kathryn allowed herself a smirk. "I don't know why you hold me in such high esteem to begin with. I'm here with you, drinking this after all."

They sipped in a comfortable silence. Savouring each mouthful of the deliciously cold liquid as it slid down their throats. Holding the nearly empty bottle by the neck, B'Elanna rested the cool glass against her forehead.

"You know, he nearly caught me this time?"

"Who did?"

"Tuvok. Who else? He walked in seconds after I'd erased the replicator logs. I'm sure he knows that we're up to something."

"Probably. Tuvok always knows more than you think he does."

"I'm not sure, but I think replicating a banned beverage would get me put on report."

Kathryn grinned her. "It would. Which is exactly why I can't be caught doing it. It would set a terrible example to the crew. Don't worry though, I wouldn't let you rot in the Brig for long."

"Gee thanks Kathryn." She paused. "Do you ever think about why we do this?"

Her companion shook her head resolutely. "No and I don't plan to. Thinking is overrated. I spend all day thinking and sometimes it makes my head hurt. This is something I do because I _want_ to, plain and simple."

She reflected briefly on the fact that since their arrival in the Delta Quadrant, one of the first things she had learnt was that being in Command was rarely compatible with getting to do what you wanted, despite appearances to the contrary. Every action brought with it a consequence, known or unknown. Since her decision, the one that had stranded them there, she knew that she was driven by an almost primal desire to get her crew home, to put their needs above anything else; to atone for the choice she had made. This evening was no time for self recrimination and so she stopped this train of thought abruptly and decided to have some fun instead. She allowed her voice to take on a low, husky tone.

"For me, it's all about desire."

B"Elanna took the bait, "are you sure we're not talking about Chakotay again?"

Kathryn grinned and raised her eyebrows.

"You're in a wicked mood this evening Kathryn."

"I know. So, we've established why I'm here, but what about you?"

B'Elanna took a long swig from her bottle. "I was thinking about this earlier. At first I thought it was about breaking the rules…"

Kathryn interrupted, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "Really? You, wanting to break the rules?"

B'Elanna stared at her briefly and then her mouth twisted into a smile. "We can't all be Starfleet conformists Kathryn, it would make for a _very_ boring journey home."

An image of Tom playing pool for replicator rations in Sandrines popped into her mind and she couldn't help but smile. "That was what I thought at first. But then, I decided that it's because I like spending time with the 'other' Kathryn."

The real Kathryn looked slightly taken aback, which pleased B'Elanna. "The 'other' Kathryn?"

"Mmmm. She has this slightly wild and reckless side to her and a wicked sense of humour. Plus we can gossip about anything and anyone, no holds barred. I'm really getting to like her."

Kathryn smiled. "She sounds like fun, but I'm not sure she'd make a very good Captain."

"Maybe not, but for an hour, once a month, she makes an excellent drinking buddy."

They dissolved into laughter again.

Suddenly, Kathryn placed her hand on B'Elanna's forearm, her expression ernest.

"Promise me we'll do this until we get home? I think it stops the _real_ Kathryn from going a little crazy."

B'Elanna smiled. "I promise, we might just have to switch to the diet version though, I'll never get my figure back after this baby otherwise."

Kathryn sent a horrified look B'Elanna's way. "Never! You'll just have to play more rounds of Velocity. It would completely ruin it for me."

B'Elanna rolled her eyes. M"You are such a purest Kathryn, even about this." She paused. "We could break the one bottle rule tonight?"

Kathryn's eyes widened just a little. "I'm game if you are. Just this once?"

"Just this once, but we'll have to use your replicator codes, I'm not risking the Brig."

Kathryn stood up, and walked over to the Replicator.

"Computer two 330ml bottles of full fat Vanilla Coke and delete all logs afterwards. Authorisation Janeway Pi Alpha 336."


End file.
